The findings, which will be presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference on occupational psychology, showed that employees of bosses with narcissistic and psychopathic traits are more likely to show signs of depression and to engage in bullying and other uncooperative behaviors at work.

“Workplace bullying is obviously unpleasant for the target, but also creates a toxic working environment for all involved,” Abigail Philips, a Ph.D. student at Manchester School of Business and the study’s lead author, said in a statement. “In short, bad bosses, those high in psychopathy and narcissism, have unhappy and dissatisfied employees who seek to ‘get their own back’ on the company.”

How can you tell if your boss is “dark” or “dysfunctional”? Consider the following: does your boss routinely harass you? Do they make life a living hell for you and your co-workers? Are they tyrannical and mean? Do they hurt for personal gain? And does it seem like they’re enjoying the pain they’re causing? Then you’ve got a “dark” boss on your hands. If your manager is generally just feckless, though, they’re likely just “dysfunctional,” which, in the long run, is much better (although not by much).

The University of Manchester study focused on the bosses that fall into the first category and can do real and lasting harm to your psyche. The authors asked 1,200 people (from all around the world) to answer questions about their boss’s personality and workplace bullying. What they found was that having a terrible boss — especially one that wants to get on top at any cost — is mentally harmful. Not only that, but in a case where trickle-down theory actually works, it turns out that a bad boss’ behavior will put their employees more at risk for bullying others, too, turning the workplace into a cutthroat environment where everyone loses.

So what to do if you’ve got one of those bosses? You could slyly slip them the study (at least the abstract, don’t print the whole thing) and walk away, get a new job, or, as The Huffington Post suggests, try some techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy to get your sanity back.

Our Aims: About Us

To support users and ex-users of psychiatric services in the Manchester area. The organisation provides a forum for services users to have a bona fide say in planning and provision of mental health services.

Protesters in King’s Lynn fight against mental health service cuts

Protesters took to the streets of King’s Lynn to voice their anger at what they described as “continuous” cutbacks to mental health services in west Norfolk.

Mental health cuts protest

A protest march against cuts to mental health services and the Fermoy Unit at the QEH took place in King's Lynn town centre. Picture: Matthew Usher.

More than 100 campaigners marched from The Walks through the town centre before finishing outside the Majestic Cinema.

Peter Smith, former parliamentary candidate for south-west Norfolk said: “We are in the fight of our lives here.”

The protest was triggered by the Fermoy Unit, an in-patient NHS facility in Lynn for mental health, which campaigners say faces an uncertain future. The unit was briefly closed to new admissions earlier this month, but reopened last week, albeit with fewer beds.

Mr Smith said: “In my lifetime we have never had to fight like this, but what is the alternative?”

But Debbie White, director of operations for Norfolk at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said there were now no plans to axe the Fermoy Unit.

She added: “It is right that mental health services should be valued and funded on the same level as acute health services, and it is understandable people feel passionate about the Fermoy Unit remaining open.”

Labour party activist Jo Rust insisted the issue would not disappear. She said: “They have been talking about closing it for a long time. We will fight and we will not let them do that.”

Beth Anthony, 18 of Dersingham, said: “We are here to protest against the continuous cuts to the mental health service, we think it’s unacceptable. My younger brother suffers from poor mental health and has to travel to London... That is to the detriment of my family because we have to pay for him to go down by train every single month.”